NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government on Tuesday expressed ‘disappointment’ over Lt Governor Anil Baijal’s objections on ”quality health for all” scheme which was passed by the Cabinet on December 12.
“Objections raised by the LG are of such nature that if accepted, they will render the whole ‘quality health for all’ scheme unworkable. As in the case of ‘doorstep delivery of services’ scheme, objections raised by Mr Baijal in this scheme are also based on lack of knowledge of ground realities,” the Delhi Government said in a statement here.
The LG has raised objections without discussing either with the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal or the concerned Minister. If he had discussed it with them, most of his objections could have been removed, thus saving precious time in sending files up and down, it stated.
The Government under its scheme has proposed that if any patient in any Government hospital needs any diagnostic test to be done and if that hospital cannot do that test for whatever reasons, then the patient can get that test done from any of 67 private labs/hospitals which have been empanelled for this purpose and the Government will pay the costs to that private hospital or lab.
Apart from that, the scheme has been proposed by the government to overcome difficulties like — in some hospitals, there are long queues for a test on some machines, then a patient has to wait for long periods which ultimately affects their treatment when diagnostic test results are not available on time.
Likewise, due to huge rush, often patients requiring surgeries are given long dates in the government hospitals which also adversely affects the treatment of patients who need immediate surgeries.
Under “quality health for all” scheme, it has been proposed that if surgery date is not given by a Government hospital to a patient within a month, then he can get it done from any of the 44 private hospitals empanelled for this purpose. For this purpose, the Delhi Government has entered into agreements with several private labs and hospitals, which have been empanelled.
This scheme was passed by the Cabinet on December 12 and was subsequently sent to the LG for approval. The scheme proposed that every person, irrespective of his income, who comes to any Delhi Government hospital for treatment shall be eligible under this scheme, if he is a resident of Delhi.
Later, the LG has written that an income criteria should be introduced to avail benefits under this scheme. However, the Delhi Government said that introduction of income criteria is not required because in any case, only poor people come to the government hospitals.
There is automatic selection. Rich and super rich, in any case, go to private hospitals. Any further verification of patients’ incomes will increase paper work and make implementation difficult.
The Government also said that it is committed to providing quality health services to all, whether rich or poor. If income criteria were introduced as desired by the, it will not only kill “quality health for all” scheme, it will also kill already successfully running mohalla clinics and polyclinics. (AGENCIES)
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